The Reef (Haifa) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, I'm Rusty, and I've been staring at the charts for your local patch. Let me tell you straight up, it's a tough stretch ahead. The next 16 days are looking pretty bleak for surf – there's just nothing on offer worth paddling out for. The only spot in the guide is The Reef (Haifa) (Haifa), and it's not delivering.

The water's sitting at a warm 86°F right now, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – a real anomaly of 4°F above average. Feels like a bath, but the waves are missing.

The whole forecast period, from Sunday the 30th of August right through to Monday the 14th of September, is a total wipeout. Every single session is labeled "poor surf conditions" with a score of zero. There are no standouts, no hidden gems, nothing. The swell is tiny, mostly around 1 foot to 4 feet, coming from the WNW with a short period of 6 to 8 seconds – that's weak, windswell junk. The combined energy is pathetic, barely cracking 167 kJ on the best day, and most days it's down in the low double digits or even single digits. That's some of the weakest energy I've seen.

The wind is a constant problem too. It's almost always cross-on, onshore, or cross-shore, with only a couple of glassy mornings on the 7th and 9th of September. But even then, the swell is so small – 1 feet to 2 feet – it's just not worth the effort. The Reef is inconsistent and rarely breaks, and with these conditions, it's a no-go. The crowds are listed as "sometimes," but honestly, there won't be anyone out there because there's nothing to ride.

We've got a 16-day gap with no real surf. The first few days start with a bit of energy on Sunday the 30th (4 feet, 167 kJ), but it's all cross-on and choppy. Then it fades fast. By Wednesday the 2nd of September, the swell drops to just 1 feet with 13 kJ of energy. It's a slow grind of nothingness. The middle of the week is dead, and the following weekend and into the next week don't get any better. The swell tries to nudge up a little around the 13th of September with 3 feet and 61 kJ, but again, the wind is messy and the period is short.

This is a blank run, but for a spot like The Reef, that's not unusual. It's a beach and reef setup, inconsistent, and needs a proper swell to fire. With the W optimum swell direction, we're not getting the right angle or size. Honestly, if you're desperate for a paddle, you might find a dribble, but don't expect a wave. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing on a couple of the windier afternoons, but that's about it.

So, keep your board waxed and your hopes up – forecasts can change, and it won't stay this flat forever. But for now, there's nothing to chase.

Rusty

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